The present invention relates to a novel hinge configuration particularly adapted for providing a cat litter box with a removable hinge cover. The use of removable covers for cat litter boxes has become increasingly popular as the cover conceals the animal waste and soiled litter from view. Such covers generally comprise elevated side walls so that the cat can use the litter box without the pet owner having to remove the cover from the litter box. It has been found that the privacy afforded by such litter box covers is preferred by many cats. An example of a cat litter box having a removable elevated cover is the litter box marketed by Booda Products, Inc. under the trademark BOODABOX.
When the waste and soiled litter are removed from a covered litter box or when the litter is changed, the pet owner must remove and replace the cover. For a litter box cover to be acceptable to cats, it must be relatively large so as not to appear overly confining and provide easy access for the cat and adequate space for the cat to stand within the box. As a result, many pet owners have found litter box covers inconvenient to use and awkward to handle. By providing a hinged securement of the cover to the rear of the box, these problems could be obviated as the pet owner could merely pivot the cover out of the way to provide unobstructed access to the interior of the litter box. However, conventional hinge mechanisms are not readily detachable and would render the litter box more difficult to clean and, due to the bulk of the box with the cover attached, more difficult to transport. It would be highly desirable to provide a hinge mechanism for use on a cat litter box which allowed for such pivotal movement of the cover on the box and which allowed the cover to be readily detached from the box. Due to space limitations in many locations where cat litter boxes are kept, it would also be desirable if such a hinge mechanism provided a support for the cover in the raised position to maintain unobstructed access to the box without having to pivot the cover rearwardly of the box to the floor. The hinge mechanism of the present invention achieves these objectives and does so with a minimal impact on the cost of the litter box.